Friday UU Update 
March 13, 2020
Unitarian Universalist Church  of Bloomington, Indiana
Postponements and Cancellations
    Postponed:
Elizabeth: A Woman of Colour (March 20)
Memorial service for Edrice Baker (March 21)
 
   Canceled: 
UU Singles: Out of an abundance of caution, we are canceling our singles game night for tonight, March 13th. There will be no organized Sunday singles lunch this Sunday, but some individuals may want to find each other at noontime to go to lunch together. If you'd like to talk about any of this, or have questions about the UU singles fellowship group, please let me know at mariedeer1961 (at) gmail.comPlease stay safe, and take care!
UU Humanists and Freethinkers will not meet until after April 10.
Friday Life Stories Writing Group will not meet until after April 10.
UU Role-Playing Gamers will not meet on March 17. 
UU Men will not meet on March 17.
Taiji will not meet on March 17. 
 
   Leaders of groups and task forces of the congregation are encouraged reschedule meetings for later this spring when the public health emergency has subsided. Please keep the office updated on your schedule, admin (at) uubloomington.org 
 
What to do to Prevent the Spread of Coronavirus covid-19
1. Wash your hands frequently with soap and water for 20 seconds.
2. Stay home if you are ill. Practice social distancing. 
3. Cover your cough or sneeze with your elbow or a tissue, and then throw away the tissue.
4. Avoid touching your face with unwashed hands. 
5. Avoid contact with people who are ill.
6. Clean surfaces that are frequently touched with household cleaner or soap and water.
7. Wash your hands as soon as you enter a building. 

AT THE FRIENDS MEETING HOUSE TODAY:
Extinction Rebellion  Non-Violent Direct Action Training
Friday, March 13, 9 am - 5 pm 
Friends Meeting House, 3820 Moores Pike
A non-violent direct action (NVDA) training is everything you need to know when standing up for Climate Action. From keeping your cool when being shouted at to knowing how to respond to police challenges. Essential knowledge for activists. Contact us at XRBloomingtonIndiana@protonmail.com for more info. --Jana Pereau
Sunday, March 15, 2020
9:15 and 11:15 a.m.
Fear of a Fluid World
Or Fear of Fluids in the World
Reverend Mary Ann Macklin
Sarah Flint,  Shambhala Meditation
         We hope to be visiting many of you via live-streaming during this Sunday's worship service in which we will explore living life creatively in an uncertain world.  As part of our time together, we will explore insights from Pema Chodron and Eckhart Tolle. We will also share meditation, reflection and poetry, including poetic blessings from John O'Donohue in honor of St. Patrick's Day.
 
We urge everyone to stay home and livestream this week's service at our Facebook page or our website livestream page. There will be no coffee hour following the service this week, and no afternoon meetings at the church on March 15. 
This Week in Religious Education
There will be no religious education classes or childcare this Sunday, March 15.

From MAM, Reverend Mary Ann Macklin:

Yesterday I ended my message with, "From the heart, live long and prosper." For me, this blessing addresses both the health concerns and economic concerns of this time. As we witness the market's volatility, it is important to note how humans behave in terms of money and resources during crisis. This morning I spoke with an employee from Monroe County United Ministries who said that their shelves will be bare in two weeks since people are collecting canned goods for personal use. We know that Bloomington community members are and will be mobilizing in various ways. As a church community we will stay abreast of such developments and discern what our role is within this evolving and devolving situation. Needless to say, the leadership of this congregation will convey information pertinent to our navigation of congregational and community life in the uncertain times ahead.

Also we will do our best to explore the bigger picture and create support for the long haul, weighing when to take action and when to take a deep breath. When to look inward and when to look outward. When to do both. When to just be.

Seeking the Spirit. Building Community. Changing the World.
In gratitude for this congregation and its leadership.


Peace,
   Mary Ann
Reverend Mary Ann Macklin
Senior Minister

 
Emily's Post  
     
Dear Ones,

We are living in interesting times.  We feel the world shifting around us into new, as yet unknown ways of being together.  We will be discovering them even as we move through these days. 

This Sunday, our congregation will be beginning the new adventure of everyone live-streaming our shared worship, and I will miss taking part in it.  I am currently on a planned vacation in Rhode Island, where I will unexpectedly be picking up my younger son since his college is sending students home to finish the semester virtually.  I am sad not to be there as our community begins this journey, but look forward to joining you next week as we celebrate the Spring Equinox together.
Before then, I wanted to share a fragment of a piece by Dori Midnight that I am finding helpful as we move into this new way of being:

We are humans relearning to wash our hands. 
Washing our hands is an act of love
Washing our hands is an act of care
Washing our hands is an act that puts the hypervigilant body at ease 
Washing our hands helps us return to ourselves by washing away what does not serve.

There is much that does not serve in modern American society, and I appreciate having multiple occasions to imagine washing it away.  May we grasp the opportunity for renewal in our new routines and discover within them moments of grace.

If you are in need of pastoral support during this time, please reach out via email to set up a time to talk: mre (at) uubloomington.org, or call me on my cell phone in an emergency: 812-333-9822.

I look forward to being together in the many new ways we will discover.
-Emily
Reverend Emily Manvel Leite, Minister of Religious Education

Connecting and Caring
     As we continue our efforts to " flatten the curve", this necessitates that we create and find new ways to stay connected and care for each other.  Below are the first steps we have put in place to keep us connected.  These efforts will not be perfect, but perfection is not the goal. 
  • Please call your friends. We are asking you to consider calling at least three of your UUCB friends once a week to chat.  Especially consider calling friends who live alone and may have very little social contact.  If you are willing, let me or Sharon Yarber know who you will visit via phone.  Our contact information is at the end of this article.
  • Make an extra effort to connect by phone with elderly friends in our congregation or those you believe may be struggling with physical or mental health issues at this time.
  • Let us know if you are concerned about the health and well-being of a member of our community.  
  • If you would like a "Calling Buddy," someone to check on you periodically to make sure you are okay and talk with you via phone or email, email me and let me know. 
  • If you are struggling to obtain necessities such as food and medications, contact me or Sharon Yarber.  
  • The church has purchased a Zoom meeting account, to enable our groups and committees to meet via video conference. Zoom meetings can be scheduled by contacting me or Carol Marks (admin@uubloomington.org).  If you have not used zoom meetings in the past, this is a great time to learn about it. Here is a link to tutorials on how to use Zoom:   https://support.zoom.us/hc/en-us/categories/200101697  
  • If you have not already done so, consider following our Facebook page.   https://www.facebook.com/uubloomington/   
  • If you are in need of pastoral care, email a minister to set up a time to talk:

Caring and Connections Contacts:
Ann LeDuc, Connections Coordinator, connect (at) uubloomington.org or 812-720-3688
Sharon Yarber, Caring Committee Chair,  yarbersharon766 (at) gmail.com or  812-345-0364

Continue to watch your email for additional information and resources.  This congregation is always amazing in how resourceful and resilient we are.  I look forward to this journey with you.

Ann LeDuc,
Connections Coordinator 

Our Folks... 
      The memorial service for Peggy Bachman will take place as planned tomorrow, Saturday, March 14, at 11:00 a.m. The memorial service will also be livestreamed, and we encourage you to participate that way, using the feed on our Facebook page.
At Church this Sunday:
This Sunday there will be a livestreamed service at 9:15 and 11:15 a.m. but no other meetings at church.
Meeting Schedule for the Next Few Weeks
In an effort to disrupt the community spread of coronavirus Covid-19, leaders are encouraged to postpone meetings at church that are planned for the coming week, through March 22. Please keep the office posted with your decisions on this so we can accurately update the online calendar. Our office will be only occasionally staffed during this time, but core staff members are available during business hours via email, which they can access while working at home.  
Friday Update is for Events Happening in the Next 10 Days
The Friday UU Update is designed to remind the members of the congregation about events and services that are coming up within the next 10 days. For events that are further in the future, please consult our twice-monthly Prologue newsletter.

For More Information
See the March 3  edition  of our newsletter, The Prologue, published on the 1st and 3rd Tuesdays. Past issues for quite awhile back can be found here
(Next Prologue deadline is Tuesday, March 17, at 10 am.) 
Carol Marks   has editorial responsibility for our congregation's publications.

How to Subscribe
If you are not already regularly receiving emails like this from us, you can subscribe by sending an email to  office@uubloomington.org.
Masthead photo by John Woodcock.
Unitarian Universalist Church